Pebblepaw's first Quest
by Loudlegs
Summary: In a place called the Area, four clans of cats live, but something is wrong, and SeaClan sends out three young clan members to visit the StarClan oracle. One of the youngsters is known as Pebblepaw, and in this story you'll follow his quest for answers.
1. Prologue

Prologue:

A loud squeal came from the queens' nursery, and a pretty brown tabby came running out. After her came a dark she-cat, her eyes were dark with grief, and her voice was husky as she yelled "Strawkit is dead, my sweet kit is dead!" the brown tabby tried to comfort the dark one, but it didn't help. Suddenly she saw a spotted tom and ran over to him.

"Would you give Nighttail some poppy seeds?" she asked him, with a gentle but husky voice. And the tom nodded, and ran straight to the medicine den, where he fetched the seeds.

By the time the brown tabby got around the dark she-cat again, the dark one was crying out loud in front of all the clan.

"Where is Otterstar? He would calm her," a pretty golden tom asked the brown tabby. "I don't know, Summerfeet, but I'll see to Nighttail while you find him," she answered the golden one.

When Summerfeet had returned with Otterstar, the clan leader, Nighttail had been calmed a lot down. She was lying on her side, breathing loudly with grief.

Otterstar lay down next to his mate, and breathed in the scent of her fur. Nighttail looked at Otterstar and whispered: "Strawkit is dead, I have nothing more to live for!"

Otterstar said nothing; he just let his mate cry out all her sorrow.

Crowkit was lying in the nursery, cut out from the world around him, the only thing he could sense was his mother's cry of pain outside. He squealed for her, but no one turned up, except for Winterpaw, whom he recognized by her sweet honey-like scent. "Care not about what's happened, little one," she meowed with a calm, yet disturbed voice. "Strawkit is dead, but you are still alive, and you have not even caught the green-cough," Crowkit meowed again, to get his own mother's attention, but she didn't come.

"Worry not, she'll come soon enough," Winterpaw said, and lay down and shared her body warmth with Crowkit.

"Soon you'll meet a friend you'll know for a lifetime," she exclaimed with a sleepy voice, and soon they both were asleep.

"You better behave yourself today," Nighttail meowed, with a humoured twitch to her whiskers, "today you are big enough to meet SeaClan's other kit," she said, with a bit of sadness in her voice. "I really hope that the two of you'll get along," Crowkit was getting nervous from all this talk about an upcoming friend. The only kit he had ever known of the same age, had been his brother Strawkit, but he had died by green-cough's deadly paws.

That had been nearly two moons ago, and now he was able to meet someone his own age. He was looking forward to it, with a nervous mind, nonetheless.

"There she is," Nighttail meowed as she saw Wavetail, a pretty brown tabby of their own clan. She had been very hysterical about her own kit when her mind had realised that green-cough had taken Strawkit, so even though there was no trace of green-cough left, she had lived outside the SeaClan camp with her one kit.

When Crowkit finally was meeting his potential friend he was knocked over by the aura the little kitten had. "This is your new friend, Pebblekit," Nighttail said and nudged Crowkit closer to the bigger kit.

Pebblekit had the strong, green eyes of a LeopardClan cat.

Crowkit staggered towards Pebblekit and meowed a "hello," and at first he didn't know what to expect from the look in the bright green eyes, but when he was gently nudged by the kit, he got a feeling that he and Pebblekit would become very good friends, very soon.


	2. Chapter 1

Pebblepaw and Crowpaw were walking home from a successful hunt. Pebblepaw was carrying a large fish, and Crowpaw a very small seagull. When they entered SeaClan camp they were greeted by Rainfur, the deputy, and Summerfeet, a senior warrior of the clan.

"Take your fresh-kill to the elders right away," Rainfur meowed, "and then come with us on our dusk-patrol," Pebblepaw looked excited at Crowpaw, and rushed towards the elders den, where he asked Foamfoot, a light brown tom and Stormfur, a very old grey tabby she-cat to share his catch, as he was going on patrol. Crowpaw was hardly as enthusiastic, but he, too, ran to the elders den, where he gave his seagull to Flameeye, the last of the elders in SeaClan.

Flameeye asked if he should reward Crowpaw with a story, but Crowpaw told him that he was going on patrol, so Flameeye send him away with a flick with his tail.

"Can you tell me what you can scent?" Rainfur asked Pebblepaw. Pebblepaw thought for a while, with his mouth wide open to lap in all the scents, "CaveClan patrols on the other side of the river," he exclaimed with a joyful nod. Rainfur showed that he was pleased with his apprentice, and then asked Crowpaw "What other scents can you make out of the air?"

Crowpaw was standing still for a long time before he answered. "A seagull eating seagull-food and a mouse nearby." and Rainfur smiled at him.

After they had checked up on the borders in the CaveClan direction, and Summerfeet had caught the mouse Crowpaw had been talking about, they turned their noses towards home.

When they returned, they saw that the fresh-kill pile had grown a bit since they left, and Summerfeet asked Crowpaw to take the mouse to the medicine cats' den, where Spottedback, the medicine cat, and his apprentice Mossface would enjoy it.

When Crowpaw and Summerfeet were out of sight, Rainfur turned to Pebblepaw and said that he was thinking about talking to Otterstar about him. "Why?" Pebblepaw asked nervously.

"Because I think that you are ready to be a warrior," Rainfur meowed. Rainfur didn't quite get an expected expression from his apprentice. Pebblepaw turned around and looked after Crowpaw and asked: "But I have trained alongside Crowpaw, is he not going to be a warrior together with me?"

Rainfur studied Pebblepaw's face, and let out a sigh, "I could wait until Stonepelt himself recommends Crowpaw too, but you know that it'll take a long time. Stonepelt isn't the most flattering kind of tom,"

Pebblepaw looked at his feet, of course he wanted to be a warrior, and he could hardly wait for his own ceremony, but it would never be the same without Crowpaw and him together.

"I would like for you to wait, Rainfur," he said and walked towards the apprentice den.

Rainfur watched him go, and thought to himself, "How I wonder what great adventures that youngster will experience..."

The next morning, just after dawn, Pebblepaw woke up from the loud cries of pain coming from the nursery. He recognized the voice as his mother's, and ran straight towards the nursery where he had been born, to soon be taken away from in fear.

When he came in, he saw Wavetail lying and twitching in pain, and he barely saw that Spottedback and Mossface were with her. "What is happening?" he asked the two medicine cats.

Mossface looked into Pebblepaw's face, and in Mossface's eyes, Pebblepaw saw nothing but fear.

"Wavetail is having a miscarriage, we have to hurry if we shall be able to save the kits," Spottedback's calm voice said. Pebblepaw stared at him with fury, "save the kits? They are the reason she is in pain, you should try to save her!" he yelled.

Coming into the nursery, Pebblepaw spotted Stonepelt, and hadn't it been for the circumstances, Pebblepaw would have asked Stonepelt to consider making Crowpaw a warrior. "What in StarClan's name is happening?" Stonepelt asked. Pebblepaw was faster than Spottedback to answer. "Wavetail is miscarrying, and either she'll die, or your kits will." Spottedback looked into Pebblepaw's eyes with anger, "Noone decides who'll live except for StarClan, and if you'd be so kind, I'd like the two of you to go away," and with a flick of his tail, he send Pebblepaw and Stonepelt out. When the two cats were out, they could hear Spottedback ask Mossface to fetch something in the medicine cats' den.

When the two toms were sitting outside the nursery and listening to the sound of the she-cat they both loved, Pebblepaw couldn't help to think what would happen if the kits were to die, or even worse if his mother was to die.

Stonepelt made no sound, and Pebblepaw looked at him. His grey fur was standing on edges from fear that Wavetail and the kits might die, and Pebblepaw felt sympathy for him, completely forgetting his own fears.

After what seemed an eternity Otterstar turned up in the camp entrance with a scared expression. The leader had a close relationship to Wavetail, and he also had his own reasons to fear for the life of the kits.

Only a few months ago one of his own kits had died from green-cough, so the fact that the clan was growing smaller was nagging in the back of his mind.

"I came as soon as I could," he yelled to Spottedback who was walking slowly out of the nursery, "How is Wavetail?" Stonepelt asked with a voice way too small for his muscular body.

The white and brown medicine cat let out a half relieved sigh, "Wavetail is surviving..." he said, and Stonepelt's, Pebblepaw's and Otterstar's faces turned bright with relief, "...but," Spottedback continued darkly, "The kits are not,"

Stonepelt's and Otterstar's faces turned dark with grief, and so did Pebblepaw's, even though he had thought that he cared not for the kits.

Otterstar suddenly let out a dark summon to a clan gathering, "May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather under StarRock!"

When the cats of the clan had gotten the sleepiness out of their heads, Otterstar began to talk.

"Wavetail and Stonepelt were waiting two strong kits, but grave things have happened," the clan began to mumble with fear for what Otterstar was about to reveal, and several sounded as if they had already guessed, "The two kits were born dead, and even though Spottedback and Mossface tried their best to help them into the world, they didn't make it. The two kits will nonetheless get their kit names, so that when they join with StarClan, they can find their ancestors."

The clan grew silent with sorrow for Wavetail and Stonepelt, but a single young warrior, Wintertail, asked loudly: "How is Wavetail? Is she going to die?"

Otterstar looked at Wintertail and shook his head. "Wavetail is getting better the moment we speak," he said, to the clan's relief.

"StarClan, hear my plea, take these kits to you under the names of Deadkit, and Lostkit," Otterstar said, ending the meeting.

Many cats chanted the names, but Stonepelt was just sitting near the nursery with grief painted over his face.

Returning to his den, Otterstar looked into the sky, where the clouds and newly risen sun had hidden Silverpelt. "Why have you forsaken us?" he asked under his breath, and went into his den without waiting for an answer.


	3. Chapter 2

The entire day, Pebblepaw and Stonepelt were sitting outside the queen's nursery, where Wavetail was lying. Spottedback had forbidden them to enter, so they sat silent outside.

"Shouldn't you sit vigil with Deadkit and Lostkit?" Pebblepaw asked Stonepelt without meeting his eyes. Stonepelt grunted, but kept his eyes at his paws. Pebblepaw could feel his body grow weak with hunger, but he would not leave his mother in the state she was in.

Suddenly Pebblepaw and Stonepelt heard someone exiting the nursery, and when they turned they faced Mossface.

"How is Wavetail?" Stonepelt asked anxiously. Mossface looked exhausted, but he answered them before walking towards the medicine cats' den, "Wavetail is in a very bad state, all the sudden... I can't say anything for sure by now," Stonepelt and Pebblepaw rose to their paws, and were about to rush into the nursery when Mossface stopped them, "You cannot help her by going inside, Spottedback'll be angry with you, so please... Just go fetch us some food, and then eat yourselves... you'll be no good to the clan when you are so starved," he said before going to the medicine cats' den.

Stonepelt and Pebblepaw, looking at their paws, went to the fresh-kill pile where Pebblepaw fetched something for Mossface and Spottedback, and Stonepelt took a mouse for himself and went to eat together with Summerfeet and Rainfur.

When Pebblepaw entered the nursery with a seagull in his jaws, he found himself stared upon by Spottedback. He put the seagull down and asked: "How's she?" but Spottedback didn't answer him. His amber eyes were hard fixed on Pebblepaw.

"Spottedback?"

"You will soon be going on a long journey set by your warrior ancestors, and your most trusted friends will join you," Pebblepaw fidgetet with his paws, what on earth was Spottedback saying?

"But be aware," Pebblepaw suddenly felt stiff and cold, even though the nursery was warm and cosy.

"Some cats in the Area will not be pleased by your message,"

Pebblepaw stumbled backwards out of the nursery, why had Spottedback acted so weird all the sudden? And what was all that about a journey? And with who?

Pebblepaw was sharing tongues with Crowpaw, and his other good friend in the clan, Wintertail, a very young warrior. "What do you think he meant about that?" Wintertail asked between licking her long white fur, "I don't know," Pebblepaw answered, he had shared Spottedback's prophecy with his friends.

"I think that he meant us when he said 'your most trusted friends', don't you?" Crowpaw smiled, lying on his side. Pebblepaw nodded, that was his thought too.

"But why us, then?" Pebblepaw asked, "Why are we going on a journey instead of some warriors?"

"Hey!" Wintertail mewed amused, "sorry," Pebblepaw mewed and licked Wintertail between the ears.

"I get what you mean, though," Crowpaw broke in, "Why not send Summerfeet or Rainfur on this journey?"

Pebblepaw and Wintertail shook their heads, they weren't aware either.

Suddenly they heard the recognizable summon of Otterstar, and when they went over to StarRock they saw Spottedback and Mossface slowly emerging from the shadows of the nursery.

"I have more dreadful news today," Otterstar said, grief in his voice. "Our beloved queen Wavetail, has passed away..."

Pebblepaw yowled loudly as he saw Mossface and Spottedback carrying Wavetail out of the nursery. He ran straight to his mother's side, and pressed his face into her fur looking after her familiar scent, but he didn't find it. He only found the harsh scents of lavender and beach rosemary.

Otterstar stared at Wavetail and Pebblepaw, and then at his clan, explaining to them what had happened.

As Otterstar was talking to the clan, Pebblepaw asked Mossface why they hadn't fetched him and told him, fury in his voice. "I wanted to, but Spottedback told me not to, he wanted you to know alongside the clan," Mossface answered as he was arranging Wavetail, so that she was ready for her journey towards StarClan.

As Otterstar was finishing, Wintertail and Crowpaw came over to Pebblepaw in try to comfort him, but nothing worked, only the faint scent of Wavetail could help him.

iWavetail, why did you leave me? I feel so alone now./i


	4. Chapter 3

When Wavetail had been buried next to her two dead kits, and the clan activities had started again, Pebblepaw tried to focus on the prophecy yet again. He actually found it easier to get over his mother's death than he had thought possible. He knew that his clan was the ones who needed him now, and he knew that Wavetail would only be proud if he served the clan instead of mourning.

"Summerfeet, Pebblepaw, Wintertail and Nighttail, I would like you to go on a border patrol on the SkyClan border, and please make it a hunting patrol too," Rainfur mewed and nodded at Summerfeet who was leading the patrol.

Summerfeet walked along the border, mouth open to catch any scent trail led by prey. He made a new scent mark on a tree, and then he asked Nighttail if he and Wintertail could go after the mouse scent they all could smell.

When Nighttail and Wintertail were gone, Summerfeet turned towards Pebblepaw, and Pebblepaw felt his honey-yellow eyes burn him. "Have you been talking to Spottedback recently?" Summerfeet asked Pebblepaw with a searching look in his eyes.

Pebblepaw nodded, and flattened his ears a bit, feeling uneasy.

"What has he spoken of?" Summerfeet pressed on, not letting Pebblepaw's gaze slip. Discomfort filled Pebblepaw, and he didn't know if he should tell the senior warrior about the prophecy or not.

"You can trust me," Summerfeet said, as if he'd read Pebblepaw's thoughts, "I grew up with Spottedback's little... personality swings," Pebblepaw sat down and curled his tail.

"He told me that I would be going on a journey very soon, and that some cats of the Area will be mad with my message," Pebblepaw bursted out, happy to finally tell someone who wasn't one of his friends.

Summerfeet nodded wisely, as he was analyzing the information, but suddenly he stiffened. "What did he mean with iyour message/i?" he asked Pebblepaw, "I don't know, I didn't ask him," Pebblepaw answered nervously.

Summerfeet held Pebblepaw's gaze yet again, and Pebblepaw could see that his brain was working very hard to solve things out. In the end Summerfeet just twitched his whiskers, annoyed.

Pebblepaw didn't know what to do, so it felt as a release to feel the scent of squirrel close by, and he asked Summerfeet to let him go catch it.

Doing his best hunter's crouch Pebblepaw sneaked up on a large reddish brown squirrel. When he was nothing but to cat-lengths away, it still hadn't spotted him, and he killed it with a strike of his claws.

When he returned to Summerfeet the two she-cats hadn't arrived, and he put down his fresh-kill right next to Summerfeet.

Pebblepaw stared at his paws for a long time, not wanting to meet Summerfeet's gaze, but suddenly Summerfeet started to talk to him in a deep mew.

"You know that I am the brother of your father, don't you?" he asked, and waited for an answer. Pebblepaw nodded, "just as Stonepelt, am I right?" the young tabby asked.

"Yes... Do you know anything about your father?" Summerpelt added, looking curious. Pebblepaw shook his head, "Nothing but the fact that he had died before I was born..."

"That has been enough so far, I guess..." Summerfeet noted to himself. "Do you want to know more about him?" he then added with a pleasantly humour in the voice.

"Yes please," Pebblepaw squealed, like a little kitten.

"Your father's name was Ashface. I was an apprentice alongside him, Stonepelt, Wavetail and Winpelt. One day, when we were still apprentices, SkyClan took over some of the SeaClan territory, and in a hurry to get new warriors, we were all appointed to warrior duties, even though half of us weren't ready. I guess I and Stonepelt were all ready, but the other three weren't. Anyhow, we had a battle with SkyClan over the territory, and Ashface died saving your mother, but at that time, she was with kittens, even though she didn't know it.

After that Stonepelt protected Wavetail with his life, and he looked from afar with affection in his eyes when you were made an apprentice, and they ended up together.

What I wanted to say with this story was: please don't treat Stonepelt unkind for having been together with Wavetail. He loves... Loved her just as much as you've ever done, and just as much as Ashface did. I even believe that he was in love with her before Wavetail and Ashface became a couple."

Pebblepaw stood there, completely astonished. He hadn't meant to be mean to Stonepelt, but maybe he had.

He felt new grief in his heart. Over his mother's death, over his father's death, and over Stonepelt's great loss.

Summerfeet stood next to Pebblepaw for another moment or two before the two toms heard Wintertail and Nighttail's two wails of greeting. When they still were far enough away for the two toms to speak without them hearing, Summerfeet told Pebblepaw that he had not forgotten the prophecy he had told about, and then he paced over to greet Nighttail and Wintertail.

Pebblepaw picked up his squirrel, and ran after the three older cats.

At the fresh-kill pile Pebblepaw saw that the hunting patrol hadn't been used badly, they had stocked up a pretty good share of food, and he picked up a large seagull and his own squirrel and took them to the elders' den.

In the elders' den he spotted his loyal and good friend Crowpaw, sitting between Stormfur and Flame-eye with Foamfoot in front of him, telling him serious stories of how the cats of LionClan and LeopardClan had fought over fresh-kill and had ended up making thunder on the sky.

Crowpaw shivered at the thought, and Pebblepaw himself felt lucky that he wasn't in any need of fighting either of them.

"Oh, dearest Pebblepaw, you have brought us food!" Stormfur mewed huskily. "With the great big portions of good meet you bring us, you will end up having a warriors name such as Pebblebelly," she teased and dug into the seagull. "Yes, and Crowpaw here will probably be called Crowstory," Flame-eye mewed with an angry tone. "You spend too much time listening, and too little time removing ticks!" he complained.

Pebblepaw and Crowpaw exited the elders' den, and went to the fresh-kill to see if there was something left for the two of them to eat.

Luckily it looked as if all the warriors had had their shares, and there was still a mouse left for the two of them to share.

After eating and sharing tongues, Pebblepaw made an excuse and went to look for Stonepelt.

When Pebblepaw found Stonepelt, he was lying very still next to Otterstar who was talking to him in a serious tone. Pebblepaw knew that it isn't nice to eaves-drop, but he felt that he had to know what Otterstar was telling Stonepelt, so he crouched in a small bramble bush near the two of them.

"I wanted you to go on a hunting patrol this morning, but Rainfur told me that you didn't want to attend, why is that?"

Stonepelt just stared right on through and didn't answer his leader.

Otterstar sighed, and with a voice a little harsher than before he mewed "I know that you are in deep grief, but look at Pebblepaw, he is in grief too, but he knows his place in the clan,"

"Then let him do my share," Stonepelt snapped back, and Pebblepaw saw how stiff him limps were. He then remembered seeing Stonepelt going over to the BurialPlace late in the night, and he hadn't seen him come back. Had he been sleeping out on a chilly night like this?

Otterstar twitched his tail annoyed and told Stonepelt to go easy on Pebblepaw. "Please. Rest inside, eat well and when you feel better, tend to your duties. Now, go see Spottedback or Mossface, you haven't had a good night's sleep, so I would ask of you to get something calming from them."

Stonepelt rose stiffly to his paws and went slowly to the medicine cat's den.


	5. Chapter 4

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather under StarRock!" Otterstar called from the top of SeaClan's gathering place.

Wintertail sat with her ears pressed against her head; the clan had felt a lot pain lately, and the last thing they needed was another problem.

Fall was arriving, Wavetail and her kits had died a while ago, and Stonepelt, the father of the kits, had ended up going rather mad, unable to tend to his clan duties, so he had moved into the elders' den. That was also a long time ago, but the clan hadn't healed.

"I have news that I believe the clan will enjoy," Otterstar announced, and the cats of the clan started murmuring happily to each other, trying to guess what it might be.

"Winpelt is bearing the kits of Rainfur, so we will soon have young cats to tend to!" he mewed.

Every cat of the clan came running to Windpelt and Rainfur and mewed their names loudly with great deals of pleasure in their voices.

When Otterstar jumped from StarRock his mind was twirling. The fact that Windpelt was going to kit was great, the Area had almost never seen a clan without a queen for this long.

But at the same time Otterstar was very worried. The last many times she-cats had kitted the kits had died sooner or later. Wavetail had even died in the nursery. And he was worried that the same thing would happen to Windpelt's and Rainfur's kits, and even worse. What if Windpelt would also die, just as Wavetail had?

He had to speak to StarClan, but he felt as letting his clan down if he left them in the state they were in, and he knew that the clan would suspect that he was very troubled if he left. But in what way could he speak to StarClan without SeaClan suspecting anything?

Then it came to him, like a lightning bolt from a clear blue sky. He could use Pebblepaw and Crowpaw's iMoonJourney/i for that purpose!

Whenever a young cat was near of becoming a warrior he or she would have to make a journey to MoonCave where a current MoonCat was living. It was also the place leaders visited to speak to the warrior ancestors, and to receive their nine lives.

While the two young cats were there, they could get a Clan Prophecy as well as their own Life Prophecies.

One problem about his plan popped up in Otterstar's mind. They needed a travelling companion, but he couldn't let Windpelt leave, she was a queen now, and Summerfeet and Nighttail needed to stay back in the camp. What cat could he let go away from the clan? It also had to be a cat worth sending, it would be no use if the warrior couldn't fight to protect the two apprentices.

Wintertail suddenly became obvious, and he felt very pleased about the choice.

He needed to tell them soon, they needed to travel fast, so they would be back before fall really came. He couldn't have a warrior and two almost-warriors on a journey when there was little prey in the forest.

He knew that Crowpaw and Pebblepaw were almost warriors, and the thought greeted him happily.

His whiskers twitched delighted. Pebblepaw would soon be a full fletched warrior.

And even though he forgot, he also knew deep down inside that Crowpaw too, would make a good warrior.

iInstead of worrying so much, I need to think about warrior names.../i

Crowpaw and Pebblepaw were removing ticks from the pelt of Flame-eye and Stormfur when Otterstar entered the elders' den. "Greetings Otterstar," Pebblepaw mewed, and Crowpaw echoed him in a stutter.

Otterstar nodded them out of the den and asked them how far they thought they were off their warrior ceremony. "Not far I hope," Pebblepaw mewed amused, and Crowpaw looked at his feet.

Otterstar was Crowpaw's father, but he had never shown any sign of affection for the youngster.

"Not far, no. I was actually thinking that you are ready to go to MoonCave very soon, and receive your Prophecy hint."

The two apprentices glared excited at each-other, and then back at Otterstar, expectation sparkling from their eyes.

"I want you to travel at sunhigh tomorrow. And I want your companion to be Wintertail, she has already been to MoonCave, but it would do her no harm to go there again. Also, she is an excellent warrior, so if anybody harms the two of you, she will be there to protect you."

Crowpaw almost couldn't stand still, he shifted his weight from one leg to the other as if he was all ready for running to the end of the world, but Pebblepaw was standing completely stiff. He somehow knew that this was the journey he was going to attend, the one Spottedback had warned him about.

The one where some cats of the Area wouldn't like his "message".

Wintertail, Crowpaw and Pebblepaw were standing outside the medicine cats' den. Pebblepaw had just devoured a package of travelling herbs, and he felt sick to his stomach because of the taste, but he could at least feel the energy emerge into his body.

"Are you ready?" Otterstar asked from the top of StarRock. The cats of the clan were sitting around the StarRock, ready to wish them good bye. Stormfur was wailing a bit, sorry to see them go.

"When they come back, I won't be here anymore," she cried, "Relax Stormfur, they are strong and fast young cats, they'll be back before you know it," Foamfoot comforted her, and licked her ear.

Otterstar walked close to Pebblepaw and whispered into his ear: "remember to ask Whitemoon for a prophecy for me too,"

Pebblepaw looked into Otterstar's dark green eyes and nodded. He would do his leader and his clan good.

Crowpaw looked at the two brown toms with envy on his mind. He would do anything to have the trust of Otterstar.

When Otterstar bid the young cats farewell, Wintertail took the lead. She wanted to make her clan respect her, she wanted them to know that she was the most loyal cat they had ever known, that she would always keep the Warrior Code close to her heart.

When they were just outside the camp, Wintertail stopped and turned around to take a look at her Clan, her most beloved thing. She breathed in the stale scent of Rainfur, Foamfoot, Summerfeet and the others. She knew that she wouldn't see them for a while, so she wanted to imprint their scents and their sounds into her mind.

Pebblepaw and Crowpaw had stopped to wait for her, and they were both silent.

When Wintertail felt ready she took the lead once again with a "follow me," as she rushed past Pebblepaw and Crowpaw. iGood bye SeaClan, I can barely wait to see you again!/i

Pebblepaw's paws were sore, and when he licked them he could taste blood harsh on his tongue. He rubbed his forepaws together softly as he let out a sigh. Wintertail looked annoyed at him, "I told you not to go so hard on yourself! Why didn't you tell me that you had started bleeding?" she asked.

Pebblepaw shrugged.

They had crossed the CaveClan border long ago, and were soon out of CaveClan territory, so he had thought that it was a good idea to just keep going. Crowpaw stood next to Pebblepaw, determination in his eyes, "We should leave right away, Wintertail! It's no good idea to stay in CaveClan territory longer than necessary,"

"But this iis/i necessary time!" Wintertail snapped back, as she flexed her claws.

Pebblepaw gave her an irritated stare, and she cooled down, letting the fur on her back lay down again.

"All right," she mewed, "we travel now, fast mind you, and then we eat and rest as soon as we're out of CaveClan territory,"

The two younger cats nodded, and went straight for the border line between CaveClan and nothingness.

They had run fast for a short while when Wintertail suddenly stopped and threw herself to the ground.

"A border patrol!" she hissed.


End file.
